manually shifting the auto bad over time?

[Wi Stang]

Hey guys, This car is the first auto that I have ever owned. It has the AODE with a Transgo shift kit in, and about 75,000 miles. Now my question, Is there any long term effect to shifting it manually a lot? Wear out faster or anything? I like to shift that way because otherwise it shifts so early unless I am getting on it. Just wondering.
Thanks

 

[mystang94gt]

I have an AODE too and when I shift mine manually it doesnt feel good at all. What I have come acustom to doing is leaving the car in D at a stop (od off) then take off and let the car shift into 2nd by itself. Then I move the shifter into 2 (before it goes into 3rd) to hold that gear as long as I want. That way I can still leave it in 2nd but without the harsh feeling that happens when I manually shift from 1st to 2nd. When I'm ready for 3rd I put it back in D and it shifts into 3rd by itself. Sorry it thats confusing. LOL

 

[Wi Stang]

I've never done it that way, but I'll have to give it a try. Mine 1-2 shift manually is the same way though. It doesn't feel quite the same as when it shifts while in D.

 

[mystang94gt]

Yeah my friend with an LT1 z28 is always telling me to shift it manually because that is the way he shifts his auto. But he has had to rebuild his tranny twice and I dont think it is a coincidence. And mine does not feel good when I shift like that at all.

 

[95stangGT]

I used to manually shift my AODE also but then again I have had to replace my transmission also. I picked up another AODE though and just leaving it in drive will shift firm and hard enough to chirp second with some 275s out back so I'm happy. lol

 

[mystang94gt]

Mine will chirp em into 2nd now too! Well with bald tires that is. but I was so happy the first time it did it!! Something manually guys take for granted. LOL

 

[Wi Stang]

Yup after the shift kit and gears mine will also give a pretty good bark going into second. Made me happier than a puppy with 3 peters

 

[HazMat404]

have fun rebuilding your tranny. had to rebuild mine twice. had it rebuilt about a year and a half ago, then i wanted a t-5 so i shifted manually all the time. fubared that auto up in less than 6 months so i could get my t-5 and get my money back on the rebuild (i know im a bastard). point is, you will mess up your tranny so dont be mad if second/third gear starts to slip from doing any of that. autos dont like to be messed with much especially since ours are electronically controlled

 

[Wi Stang]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like I better run it normal. I need the tranny to last at least another year, so I can get new heads and other goodies on the car this winter.

 

[gcomfx.com]

I manual shift mine all the time at the track and I run nitrous through it like it's the primary source of power - cause it is.

What you have to watch for is holding it in a gear too long. This causes heat.... so don't drive around in second to get the rumble of the exhaust unless you have one heck of a good tranny cooler.

If the thing has been properly built manual shifting won't hurt it. The hard shifting is actually good on the tranny to a point. Soft shifts cause friction and heat build up.

The thing you have to watch out for is O/D.... that thing is weak... I just had my tranny gone through again, but only because of O/D. If you shift at WOT into O/D you will slip the band and get it hot... over time the band wears down and then you'll be where I was and won't be able to climb a hill on the highway in O/D.

The question is, why so you feel it's shifting early when your not at WOT? If your not hot rodding it around, then it should be doing it's job just fine.

There are only 2 reasons I manual shift mine. One is I still haven't got it quite where my power points are. If I hold it another 300rpms in each gear I can get another couple tenths at the track each run.

The other is, If you've ever run the juice you might know this one, if you do a juice launch and your tires give enough to hit 4,500 rpms.... even though that's not the normal shift point at WOT the juice can confuse the tranny and the little bugger will shift into second on you. If you aren't rolling quite fast enough... second gear could be too high and you are putting a serious load on the car. Not good and can produce a lean condition in the car in a hurry.

I can't remember which video it is... but when the guys go...."oh, Paul" - it's not cause of the smoke, it's cause the tires hooked in 3rd and my car leaned out.

http://100mphclub.com/movies/psu_gcomfx2.mpg

http://100mphclub.com/movies/psu_gcomfx2.mpg

 

[Dan95-5.0]

**** man, i didnt know you had an auto Paul??? thats a pretty good run you got in your sig on the 125 shot

i was reading my car manual and it said you can down shift and upshift from 1'st to 2'nd to drive or vise versa at any speed. i was surprised it said this.

i thought with a shift kit you can manual shift it all the time?

 

[mystang94gt]

Paul you shift your manually on the juice?? I was wondering about how the juice would work with the AODE. What else have you done to the tranny besides the Trans go shift kit.

 

[gcomfx.com]

**** man, i didnt know you had an auto Paul??? thats a pretty good run you got in your sig on the 125 shot

i was reading my car manual and it said you can down shift and upshift from 1'st to 2'nd to drive or vise versa at any speed. i was surprised it said this.

i thought with a shift kit you can manual shift it all the time?

I'm amazed at the people that read my numbers, but not the rest of the sig. Yup, been an AODE guy my whole V-8 life. With the stock converter, and a fuaked up one, I still ran 13.07 - 13.15s consistantly since last fall. That was 6 trips last fall and only 1 this summer to get a number to show that place in Iowa how bad their stall converter was. I dropped from a 14.8 to a 15.3 off the bottle, but could still run the same numbers spraying since I hit the juice 6 inches off the line.

I finally gave up on that company and an Edge Racing converter should arrive Monday.

The manual shifting shouldn't matter a bit, unless you do what I used to do and run around town trying to "sound" all tough in lower gears.... that will boil your tranny fluid in a hurry.

Let's just say I've learned the importance of changing the tranny fluid.

 

[gcomfx.com]

Paul you shift your manually on the juice?? I was wondering about how the juice would work with the AODE. What else have you done to the tranny besides the Trans go shift kit.

Yes.... and I have no Rev Limiter and a stock tach that is off.

I listen to my motor and watch the tach and speedo, plus watch the guy next to me so I know how hard I've got to push it.

Once I get my tranny back in next week... I'll be a video making fool!

 

[Dan95-5.0]

thats crazy paul. have you ever taken your car to a dyno to see how much power your putting out. it would be cool to compare your track times to dyno numbers considering you got an auto.

i got a hammer shifter in the mail that i should get next week so i guesse i better cut back on the manual shifting till next summer . i plan on working on mostly the drivetrain such as a transgo shift kit, deeper pan, 3000 stall, big ass trans cooler, trans temp gauge, aluminum driveshaft, and some 3.73's.

that should wake it up and keep things safe.

 

[gcomfx.com]

I've gone once.... but it was a rush job and the torque curve was off. The place mainly dynos RV's and Pulling trucks. They threw my car on the dyno one evening to show me that I was imagining the HP difference with the juice. Let's just say they were surprised at how much the Zex kit changed my motor.

I'm not sure how accurate this is, but it shows - 240HP N/A
http://www.100mphclub.com/phpBB2/album_pic.php?pic_id=504

This shows a weird slump in my power between 4300-5200 and you could feel it.
http://www.100mphclub.com/phpBB2/album_pic.php?pic_id=505

This shows 317hp on the 125 shot
http://www.100mphclub.com/phpBB2/album_pic.php?pic_id=506

We've got a local dyno that there specialty is performance cars and our club is planning a group dyno there before the fall. I'll get some more accurate numbers there with Wideband.

To get back to your post - I've got the shift kit. A 2,800 stall is on the way and the tranny cooler/guage is sitting in the garage. Going to mount the guage to see how bad I need the cooler first. Because my radiator has seen better days and I may change it at the same time.

 

[gcomfx.com]

Oh, and I've been screwed out of two slightly used alum DS this summer... so I'm still looking for one. My stock u-joints aren't going to like the DRs I just bought.